Turnabout Guardian
by curiouslydreaming
Summary: "There are times when people require protection… even those who might not realize that they need it. But… who, exactly, is protecting who?"
1. Chapter 1

**Turnabout Guardian**

Description; "There are times when people require protection… even those who might not realize that they need it. But… who, exactly, is protecting who?"

Rated; T for mentions of violence/blood, and some minor language.

Disclaimer; [The one and only that you will see, because I don't think it's necessary to repeat it on every chapter.] Anything that is relative to the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game and/or franchise is owned by Capcom Co., LTD. All I own is my mind and the laptop that this was written on.

Authors' Note; I… really don't know what to say. I mainly wrote this story for myself (since the idea has been in my head for, literally, months now and it fails to leave me alone)… and because I wanted to create something that would be a slight challenge. I will state that this story will (possibly) be set in an AU, though I aspire to have everyone be as in character as possible... and I hope that I do the characters justice in that regard. The chapters lying ahead will show investigations from both Phoenix and Edgeworth, but I assure you that this work of fiction mainly leans towards the latter. If you happen to stumble upon this, I hope that you enjoy reading the story – Feedback and general comments are welcomed and very much appreciated. :)

* * *

**Prologue**

_H e r S t o r y i s H i s t o r y_

The darkened sky illuminated with a flash of lightning as the rain poured down heavily, tapping against the glass of a window. A loud rumble of thunder filled the room and woke up the young woman from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, greeting the pitch black room.

_'The storm must have knocked the power out...'_ A soft sigh passed her lips as she sat up. Another flash of lightning lit the sky, and she gripped the sheet that was lying across her lap. _'It's only a storm. It's only a storm. It's only a storm...' _ As the sound of thunder flooded her ears, she quickly pressed her hands to them. '_It's only a storm.'_

With a shaky breath, she removed the hands from her ears and slowly opened her eyes. "I hate being back in Los Angeles." The young woman whispered to the darkness; to nothingness. A break in the silence startled her and she looked around. _'What in the world was that muffled sound?' S_he pulled the sheet off of her body and shifted her position to the side of the bed, stretching her legs out to place her bare feet onto the floor. She pushed herself off of the bed and tiptoed over to the bedroom door, opening it a crack.

"…I SAID GET OUT!" A man's voice yelled. "LEAVE US ALONE! WE WANT NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH YOU!"

The young woman quickly closed the door and rushed over to her desk, hand fumbling along it to retrieve her cellphone. She picked it up and, as she pressed the '9', she heard another muffled sound. _'That sounded like a muffled bang.' _The phone slipped from her grasp upon hearing the noise and she swiftly bent down to grab it, then she crawled on her knees over to the foot board of the bed. She slid down to the floor in a sitting position, back flush against the wall, and flipped the phone back open. As her fingers pressed the '9', '1', she heard her door slam against the wall. She instantly froze at the noise as the phone fell onto the floor once again.

"..Ah, so you are here... When'd your flight get in, dear?"

"W-what do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious..?"

"No."

The sound of a chuckle filled the room. "I did all of this... for you..."

"For... me?"

"You know what he was doing... I couldn't let _him_ take you away from me, my love..."

"I am **not** your love. I don't want anything to do with you! You-you..."

"You don't love me, my dear...?"

"Your actions are not one that would warrant me to profess a love for you that has never existed. In fact, what you have done has made me hate you! I could never and would never love someone such as you."

"Silly...girl. It's because of _him_, isn't it?"

"H-Him? He has nothing to do with this..."

"Oh, my dear, not **him**... but _him_... Your naïve infatuation with someone you don't know and will never know..."

"...Wh- but how?..."

"You're such a delusional little girl... Your time ends now. If I can't have you," Lightning filled the sky as the room was illuminated once again. Her eyes went wide as she saw a pistol being aimed at her. Before the young woman had a chance to react, the intruder spoke again. "...no one else can..." The trigger was pulled and, with a flash of light, the bullet exited the pistol. A soft thud was heard as the body slumped to the floor.

"Maybe in the next life, hmm? It's quite a pity, really, you were such a beaut." The sound of thunder filled the room. "It's a shame that he couldn't have protected you more, 'ey love?" The sound of footsteps echoed off of the walls of the room, the door creaked as a breeze blew by, and another door could be heard closing in the distance.

The young woman exhaled a breath she had been holding and, with shaky hands, she reached for the phone, pressing the final '1', and 'send', with her thumb, and held the phone up to her ear.

"911, what is your emergency?"

She closed her eyes, feeling the tears run slowly down her cheek. "Please, help...m-my uncle-in-law... he's been shot..."

"What is your location, ma'am?"

"1408 Ashcraft Court... Please, hurry, I-I've been shot too."

"Is there anyone else in the household?"

"No, just us...the intruder left."

"Do you know which direction they went, ma'am?"

"N-no...the storm has knocked the power out. Please, hurry."

"I've dispatched officers to your location. Stay on the line with me until they arrive."

"..."

"Miss? Are you still there?"

"..."

"Miss?"

"..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

**E n d i n g S t a r t**

_'Ack! It's almost nine-twenty, already? I can't believe I missed the bus, again!'_ Phoenix Wright thought as he placed his arm by his side; the sleeve to his jacket slid down and covered the watch on his wrist. His shoes tapped against the sidewalk as he picked up his pace a bit. _'Why can't public transportation run on a more convenient schedule... like, maybe, my own?'_ The sound of his cellphone ringing brought him out of his thoughts, and his fingers clutched his briefcase a little tighter. With his free hand, he retrieved the phone from his jacket pocket and winced a bit as he inspected the caller ID. Using his thumb, he pressed the 'accept' button and held the phone to his ear. "Hello, this is Phoenix Wri—"

_"Where are you?"_

He flinched at the sound of the voice on the other line. _'She sounds... pretty annoyed.'_ "I'm... almost there, Maya... I'm just around the corner—"

_"You are aware that it's after nine in the morning, right?"_

"Yes."

_"I've been waiting here for fifteen minutes... **Fifteen** minutes!"_

The defense attorney rounded the corner and slowed his pace. "Look, I'll make it up to you—"

_"—Since this is the second time this week I've had to wait for you to show up to work, I expect one... no.. two more burger hours included in the day. This is **your** office, Nick, not mine! You should be the one who gets here on time—"_

He sighed softly as he pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped the 'end' button on the phone.

"Hello? Hellooo, are you still there? ...Can you hear me now? ...HE HUNG UP ON ME? HOW RUDE!"

With a huff, the man stopped walking and bent at his waist, placing his hands on his knees. _'I... I made it...'_ He lifted a hand to wipe the sweat off of his brow. "It's not terribly rude... if I'm behind you, Maya."

The young woman turned around and puffed her cheeks out, and crossed her arms over her chest. "NICK—" She exhaled and placed her hands on her hips as she eyed the man in front of her. "Let me guess... you missed the bus again."

He nodded as he straightened his position and reached into his pants pockets to grab his keys.

"I knew it! …I don't understand why you don't start riding your bike to work. It might be more reliable for you than taking the bus."

He took a few steps toward the entrance to the Wright & Co. Law Offices, wincing a bit as a stitch of pain hit his side, and unlocked the door. _'It doesn't help that I forgot to set my alarm clock this morning as well, but I won't mention that to her.'_ He nudged the door open and stepped inside. "Yeah, maybe I'll ride my bike to work tomorrow." He walked over to the desk and placed his briefcase down beside it.

"Don't just **maybe** ride your bike to work," she closed the door behind her and followed him to the desk. "**Definitely** do it. I manage to catch the bus on time. I don't understand why you can't, either."

Before the defense attorney could make a retort, his attention was caught by the sound of the office phone ringing. He reached for it, at the same time the spirit medium did, but she was quicker. Her fingers wrapped around the phone and she picked it up from its base, and put it up to her ear. "Wright and Company Law Offices."

Phoenix raised his eyebrow as he watched her blink a few times before she spoke again. "Y-yes, I'll accept the charges."

_'Accept the—'_ He shook his head as he leaned toward her. "Hold it! ...C-charges?"

She placed a hand over the transmitter and whispered, "It's a call . . . from the detention center . . . this is payback for making me wait."

He reached for the phone but the young woman turned away from him, and his hand hit the metal desk. "…B-but, it's charging me money for every minute you're connected to some stranger…"

She turned to the side, removing her hand away from the mouthpiece and waved it in his direction. "Shush, Nick, I think we're connected now." Her attention was brought back to the telephone. "Wright and Company Law Offices..." She nodded a few times. "Yes, this is the office of Phoenix Wright. He's the only one that I know of, at least."

"Maya, give me the phone now."

The spirit medium pulled the phone away from her ear and extended her arm toward the attorney. "He wants to speak to you, anyway."

The man wiped his hands on his pants before taking the phone. _'I can't say that I feel very... comfortable… right now.'_ He cleared his throat as he put the phone up to his ear. "Phoenix Wright, speaking."

_"Is this **the** Phoenix Wright?"_

"If you're seeking Phoenix Wright the defense attorney, then yes..."

_"I'm calling to request your services."_

_'That's pretty obvious, since you're calling from the detention center.'_ "Could you clarify, quickly, on why you'd require my services?"

_"I'd rather explain my case to you in full detail. Is it possible for you to come to me?"_

_'…I definitely don't feel comfortable now. It's almost like one of those really bad horror movies…'_ "I'm sorry, Mister—"

_"Abbott. Zachary Abbott. Mr. Wright, I know that what I am inquiring is a little... aberrant—"_

_'I agree.'_

_"—But I assure you that I did not commit this crime, and I would like it if you could help me prove my innocence—"_

_'One of those really, really terrible horror movies where the victim walks right into the killers trap.'_

The man's voice on the other line went soft. _"...I would never commit murder, Mr__. Wright."_

_'M-murder?'_ "Did you happen to know the victim at all?"

_"He… was my best friend."_

The defense attorney flinched. _'I could never imagine being charged with harming someone close to me. That'd be like—'_ The defense attorney shook his head. "The most I can offer, considering the circumstances, is a consultation."

_"I suppose that will suffice... for now."_

The man sighed. "I can be there within the hour."

_"Thank you, Mr. Wright; ...I'm glad she told me about you."_

_"What do you me—"_ Phoenix heard a soft click through the phone. _'He hung up on me? How rude!'_

The spirit medium watched him place the phone back onto the base. "What now, Nick?"

"I... guess we make our way down to the detention center and gather up a little more information from our… potential client." The man walked around the desk and picked up his briefcase. _'That's it... Maya is banned from answering the phone, no matter who is on the other line.'_

* * *

As Maya and Phoenix headed up the steps to the detention center, the man brought a hand up to his head and ran it through his hair. _'Why can't I defend something else for a change, like an automobile accident... or a lawsuit case?'_ When they reached the door, he opened it and held it for the spirit medium, then walked in after her.

The young woman took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she matched his pace. "This will be a breeze, Nick. We've got nothing to worry about."

_'Yeah, nothing at all to worry about... except for the fact that the only things I know about the man we're going to speak to is his name and the charge against him. If Maya didn't answer the phone before me, I wouldn't be in this predicament.'_ He rubbed the back of this neck nervously as he used his free hand to open the door that lead to the visitor's center. _'I feel like I'm up the creek without a paddle right now.' _He took a seat in one of the stools that was provided, and exhaled a soft sigh as the young woman sat in the stool beside him.

The sound of the door opening on the other side of the visitor's room caught Phoenix's attention, and he kept his eyes on the man entering the room behind the guard. The man appeared to be in his late 30's, with thinning black hair and green eyes; he was dressed in a black and grey pinstripe suit, with a white shirt underneath the suit's jacket.

_'Certainly one of the more presentable clients I've come across; not above Edgeworth or Maya, of course.'_

The man proceeded to sit down on a stool on the other side of the glass and his gaze shifted to the floor. "You're... Mr. Wright, right?" He asked, softly.

_'He stole my line! He was just supposed to ask if I was Wright, and then... darn!'_ "Yes, I am. I take it that you're Mr. Abbott."

He nodded and looked up. "It's a pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Mr. Abbott, would you mind telling us a little bit about the case at hand?" Maya spoke up as she looked at the man. "We'd like to hear what happened the night of the crime."

He turned his attention to the young woman and gave her a faint smile. "Well, Miss—"

"—Fey."

"Ms. Fey... the truth is," he looked down once again. "I don't know what happened."

Phoenix blinked as he leaned forward a bit. "You... don't know?"

Mr. Abbott shook his head. "I overheard some of the police officers conversing about the incident and, from what I understand, it sounded like he was murdered at home last night... and she was shot, too"

_'He... overheard a discussion about the incident?' _Phoenix cleared his throat. "Who are these people?"

"Aidan Wolfe, and his niece-in-law, Gabriella Stone." The man looked away. "I heard them say that Mr. Wolfe is... deceased. I haven't heard anything about Gabi."

_'So, we have a man that's charged with homicide and attempted homicide? Oh. __Lovely.'_

"How did you meet Mr. Wolfe?" Maya asked.

"We met through work, about fifteen years ago; he was hired shortly after I was."

"Can you tell me where you were last night?"

"I was at work, Mr. Wright."

"If you were at work, then why were you arrested?"

"I... was arrested because... I was found on the premises."

"WH-WHAT?" The defense attorney exclaimed as he nearly jumped out of the stool.

Maya leaned forward a bit and clenched her fists. "Mr. Abbott, if you were at the residence then why did you say that you had only **heard** about the murder? What really happened last night?"

He shook his head as he turned away. "I was outside, Ms. Fey; I was told that the incident occurred inside... and as for my actions last night..." The man sighed and looked at them. "I left work yesterday evening and proceeded home. I received a phone call from Mr. Wolfe at about ten o'clock, requesting my help with a few things."

"What kind of help?" The defense attorney tensed as he saw a psyche-lock appear over Mr. Abbott. _'...This is not a good sign.'_ "So, uh, you were called to Mr. Wolfe's residence. What time did you arrive?"

"The first time, it was approximately forty-five minutes after his phone call. The second time—"

"S-second time?"

The man nodded, somberly. "—was a little bit after midnight. Moments later, I heard police sirens and before I could comprehend what was going on, I was being interrogated by a detective. He told me that there was probable cause for my arrest."

"What was the probable cause?"

"He explained that, aside from being on the property around the time of the incident, I had left some... files on Aidan's desk."

_'Files?'_ "What sort of files were they?"

"They were work related."

"What **is** your profession, Mr. Abbott?"

"I work, er, worked for Federal Bank, Incorporated."

Phoenix raised his eyebrow. "You quit?"

"Yes, as of last night."

"Why did you quit your job?"

Phoenix watched as another psyche-lock appeared and he flinched. _'...Another one?'_

Maya leaned over to the defense attorney and whispered, "He's hiding something, isn't he?"

He nodded in return and watched her eyes widen in shock.

"Mr. Abbott, if Nick's going to defend you, you need to tell us everything!"

"I... I... can't. But, please, I'm the innocent party in this, I swear. T-take my case. I'll tell you everything when the time is appropriate."

_'Why can't you just tell me everything now? ...Some consultation this is turning out to be.'_ "...I feel reluctant to do that at this point in time, Mr. Abbott."

The man looked back up at Phoenix. "I-I just need an answer soon, or they'll appoint me a court-appointed attorney... and I was told to go to you."

_'I'm glad she told me about you.'_ The attorney jumped out of the stool and pointed at the man. "Who is this person that told you about me?" His arm fell to his side as he flinched again upon seeing another psyche-lock added to the chain. _'How many secrets is this guy hiding?'_

Maya jumped out of her chair and stood beside him. "We will be back, Mr. Abbott. Thanks for the information."

"Just... please, Mr. Wright, if you would... go to Federal Bank Incorporated. I assure you that it will be worthwhile to take a gander at it..." The man stood up and turned toward the door. "I ask that you please come back soon with a definite answer. The trial is tomorrow."

When he exited the room, the spirit medium walked over to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob. "Let's go to the bank and see if we can find out any information about Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Abbott."

Phoenix shook his head as he walked towards her. _'This potential case does not appear to have a very good ending.'_

* * *

"Turn right onto Canis Heights Drive." An automated voice declared, following the inputted directions that had been placed into the box.

_'Who knew this GPS would come in handy someday?'_ Miles Edgeworth thought as he tapped the blinker with the fingers on his left hand, and proceeded to take the turn.

"What time is it?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Ten fifty-eight, A.M.". The automated voice responded.

The man smirked. _'So convenient.'_

"Ashcraft Court next left. Destination will be on the right."

The man signaled his blinker once again and looked into his rear view mirror to make sure no vehicles where approaching. When he was sure that no one was coming, he turned the steering wheel and moved the car towards the left lane, and casually came to a stop. When no cars where coming in the other lane, he made the turn indicated.

"Destination on the right."

He slowed his car down, examining the houses on the right side of the road. _'I'm sure I'll find this place before that electronic device does.'_ He smirked toward the little black box on his dashboard as he pulled into a driveway. _'It is rather obvious that I have arrived at the destination by the amount of police force surrounding this residence.'_

"1408 Ashcraft Court… Destination reached."

_'...Thank you, Captain Obvious.'_ He parked the car, took the keys out of the ignition, and unbuckled his seat belt. As he was about to open the door, he saw Detective Gumshoe approach him.

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! I see you got my message!" He said, watching the man step out of the car.

Edgeworth closed the car door behind him and locked the vehicle before placing the keys into his suit pocket. "Indeed I did, Detective."

"So, are you ready for this one? It's pretty straight forward."

The prosecutor put his hand up as he started walking toward the front steps of the house. "I received the police report this morning, and filed the appropriate charges against the suspect. The report indicated that the victim, Mr. Aidan Wolfe, was in his office when he was shot at point blank range with a gun."

"...Which we have yet to find..." The other man mumbled as he glanced down.

"The witness, Ms. Gabriella Stone, was in her bedroom when she was shot, though the bullet had only grazed her shoulder."

"...And she called the authorities to report the incident."

"The suspect, Mr. Zachary Abbott, was arrested—"

"...Arrested by yours truly."

"—on the grounds that he was the last person to see the victim alive; he was found on the property when the police arrived. The report also mentioned, briefly, about some sort of files that were found on the victim's desk. Has anyone been able to establish the relevance of those files, yet?"

"No, sir..." the man scratched the back of his neck. "One of the guys from forensics said they were going to call someone in to look them over. Something about lots of big numbers, and names to go along with them. I... didn't really understand what they were talking about."

_'Gnnnrk. Well, I hope that they find something in those files.' _He shook his head and looked at the other man. "Detective, is there an **actual** reason you requested my presence? Or was the purpose to dawdle and discuss the preliminary police report?"

"O-oh, well, ya see... there was one thing that we all were wondering about."

"What kind of **thing**?"

"I'll show ya, sir." Gumshoe replied as he gestured toward the mansion.

The younger man's eyes examined the front of the two-story brick residence; two Japanese maple trees were placed in the center of the lawn, and there was a single lilac bush by the front entrance. His feet stepped up the concrete stairs as he followed him into the house. As the two passed through the opened chestnut door, they entered a hallway. "Every time I enter this place, I feel so—" The detective started to say, his voice echoing off the walls.

Edgeworth crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his finger against his arm. "Where do we go from here?"

The other man's arm stretched out, pointing off to the left. "This way, sir!"

He nodded and proceeded to walk around Gumshoe and took the left. As he entered the room, he took note of the scene; the chalk outline of the victim's body with a pool of blood in the center of it, tiny droplets of blood spatter that had covered the front of a metal filing cabinet, an immaculate bookshelf behind a wooden desk, and a laptop sat opened on the desk.

"The computer on the desk, sir," The detective started to explain as he walked behind the desk. "It's locked, and—"

"You attempted to see what was on the laptop?"

"Well, yeah. We didn't think—"

_'When do you ever thoroughly think things through, Detective?'_ Edgeworth brought a hand up and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "What makes you believe the laptop is connected to the crime?"

"...I found something that was rather interesting, sir." He replied as he crouched down. "There's a printer over here... and I discovered this..." He stood up, holding a piece of paper in his right hand.

His eyes snapped open as he walked over to Gumshoe and reached his arm out. "Let me see that." The man handed the paper to him, and he raised his eyebrow. "This is just a printed receipt showing the victim and the witness—" His brow furrowed as he took a closer look at the paper. "—booked a flight last night to England?" _'Why would they book an international flight?'_

"It's a little suspicious if you ask me, sir!"

"I feel that it's **highly** suspicious. However, this isn't conclusive enough. Is there anything else that you're failing to tell me?"

"Well, our victim was an employee at Federal Bank, Incorporated."

___'An employee at a bank? Surely that's not relevant... or is it?' _Edgeworth glanced at his surroundings_. __'We have a murder, a receipt for a flight, and a bank employee. Could those three things be connected to the laptop in any way?'_ The man brought his right hand up to his temple and tapped his index finger against it._'...Did the defendant know that the victim and witness were flying out of the country? Could the files be related to it somehow? If I can find evidence to prove that one of those two things is possible… then the laptop would be significant to the case.'_ "Detective, we'll need something a bit more decisive to be able to determine that the laptop is involved in this crime. Alas... the incident, this piece of paper, and knowing the victim worked at the bank isn't enough. Ergo, it will remain here for the time being."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Now," the prosecutor placed his arm back by his side. "Where is the witness's bedroom located?"

"It's on the second floor, sir." The man replied as he walked out behind the desk, and exited the room with Edgeworth following behind him.

Back out in the hallway, Gumshoe walked toward the back of the house, and proceeded to walk up the stairwell to his left. "Here it is." He pushed open the door and walked into the bedroom. "It's kind of a nice room... for a girl, anyway." He chuckled softly.

The prosecutor flipped on the light switch and glanced around the room. The walls were a strikingly similar color to his suit; the canopy bed placed against the wall had a white curtain surrounding it and crisp white sheets upon the mattress. The floor was made of hardwood, and the desk off to the left was made of wood as well. Over to the right was a door, and across from the desk was a single window.

"The girl was crouching over here," Gumshoe said as he pointed toward the window. "There's a bullet hole on the right, below the sill."

The other man stepped further into the room and crossed his arms. "So, the witness was crouched down as the defendant fired the gun..."

"She musta been attempting to hide herself. She's lucky the shooter missed, I'll say that much."

_'...I feel inclined to agree that she was, indeed, fortunate.'_ He turned on his heel, and walked over to the desk. He looked down, and his eyes roamed over a few pieces of paper that were scattered around, his brow furrowing at what he saw:

_UJS_

_EBJA?_

_UKJCC?_

_On The Edge of Stone_

_Flight I-20, 11:45am_

Edgeworth looked at the piece of paper with the flight information on it, and placed his hand down on the desk. _'...I need to find out why the victim and witness were leaving the country.'_ He turned to face the detective. "I believe it's time to question the witness. Do you know where she's being treated?"

"Yes, sir… she's at the general hospital."

"Very well, then. We will meet there." _'It appears that we're off to a relatively slow start.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

**D r e a m w o r l d**

The doors to the Los Angeles County General Hospital slid closed behind Edgeworth and Gumshoe as they entered the building. The lobby was bustling with nurses running about and the various blue plastic chairs were occupied with people. The two men approached the front desk in the center of the room, and the prosecutor watched as the secretary twirled a telephone cord around her finger and could hear her giggling into the phone. He cleared his throat, then looked down at her. "Pardon me..."

She glanced toward him, raising an eyebrow and an index finger, and then resumed her telephone conversation.

"If you would please—" His voice was tinged with annoyance, and he tapped his foot impatiently. He watched her roll her eyes as she shifted her chair slightly to the side, placing her hand up to him.

He leaned over the desk and slammed a hand down onto it. "—Get off the bloody phone and do your job." He snapped.

Gumshoe took a look around, noticing that the nurses and the people in the chairs were now staring in their direction. His weight shifted from foot to foot, nervously, and he looked down at the tiled floor. "...Everyone's staring at us, sir." He mumbled.

The young woman whispered something into the receiver of the phone before placing it into its proper place. She sighed and placed her elbows onto the desk in front of her. "Can I help you?"

The prosecutor removed his hand from the desk, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _'Why does it appear that most secretaries are completely incompetent, deficient, and oblivious to their surroundings?'_

The detective looked up and sighed softly. "Miss, I'm Detective Gumshoe and this is Prosecutor—"

"—Miles Edgeworth." He interrupted as he straightened his cravat. "We need to speak to a patient—"

The woman placed her head in left hand. "Right. I need to see some proof of identification."

"What? Surely you know who Mr. Edgeworth is!"

"I don't. Now, identification or I'm calling security." Her free hand reached out to the phone, and she curled her fingers around it.

_'This is completely foolish!'_ Edgeworth thought as he reached a hand into his pocket.

"...Miss Blackwood! Are you harassing visitors again?" A woman's voice hollered from the hall corridor.

"N-not at all, Mrs. Haywood. I was just—"

"Hush." The woman replied, as she strolled towards them. "Now, what can I do for you, gentlemen?"

_'The first thing you can do is terminate your secretary.'_ He turned toward the older woman, and placed his hand down by his side. "Miles Edgeworth, prosecutor."

"Detective Dick Gumshoe, ma'am!"

"Hannah Haywood. I am Assistant Director of this hospital."

"Mrs. Haywood, the detective and I need to speak with a patient of yours."

"Which patient do you need to speak with?"

"Ms. Gabriella Stone."

The woman walked over to the white board, eyes roaming over the names. "Ah, Ms. Stone is on the second floor, room 1221. Please allow me to escort you to the room." She turned around and glared at Ms. Blackwood. "As for you, you will remain at the desk, but see to it that your belongings are taken care of at the end of the day."

"Y-you mean—"

"—You're fired, Miss Blackwood."

Edgeworth hid a smirk as he watched the younger woman slump her shoulders and hang her head in shame. The older woman walked back toward the corridor. "Shall we, gentlemen?" She asked as she walked down the hall.

_'Wait, did she say that we will be traveling to the second floor? That could require taking an elevator.'_ He swallowed hard as he followed her footsteps. "If possible, Mrs. Haywood, could we take the stairs?"

"I suppose so," She said as she stopped abruptly, placing her hand on the doorknob beside her. "It is better for one's health, after all." With a twist of her wrist, she opened the door and held it for them. The prosecutor nodded toward her in acknowledgement, while he heard the detective thank the woman quietly. Their footsteps echoed up the staircase and the woman walked passed them to open the door to the second floor, and she closed the door behind them.

"Left." She stated, walking passed the men once again to guide them. She slowed her pace and pointed toward an open door to the left. "She's in there. I'll be on the first floor if you need anything." She turned on her heel, walking away in the direction they arrived in.

They entered the room and glanced around. The sterile white walls matched the white sheets and tiled floor. "I've never liked hospitals." Gumshoe grumbled as he shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced over at the figure lying on the cot. "Uh, she's not moving, sir."

Edgeworth walked closer to the cot and sat down in one of the white chairs next to it, his eyes focusing on the girl who was lying on her side. Her chestnut brown hair slightly obscured her face but he could see that her eyes were closed. His eyes roamed to the gauze that covered the wound on her shoulder, and he watched her shoulder rise and fall every so often as she inhaled and exhaled.

The detective walked over and sat down in the chair next to him. "Oh. She's sleeping. Maybe we should come back..."

The sheets began to move, slightly. "No, I believe she's waking up now." The prosecutor remarked as he saw her eyelids flutter open; her hazel eyes gazed into his grey eyes.

"O-oh!" She gasped softly as she flinched backward, her eyes squeezing shut as she flinched.

"Don't be alarmed, missy. I'm Detective Gumshoe and this here is Mr. Edgeworth—"

"—Prosecutor Edgeworth. We'd like to ask a few questions about last night."

Her eyes opened once again and looked back and forth between the two men as she nodded, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She looked away as she winced a second time.

Edgeworth frowned as he watched her movements. "Ms. Stone, I'd like to hear your account of what occurred last night."

"I... I went to bed around nine thirty. I woke up to the sound of thunder, but I'm not sure what time it was since the storm knocked the power out. Shortly after, I heard muffled noises coming from downstairs, so I reached for my cellphone which was on my desk, and then I heard another sound; like a gunshot. I attempted to dial emergency services but, before I could, my door opened so I huddled by my bed. I saw the gun... pointed at me and..." She exhaled a shaky breath and closed her eyes; a single tear ran down her cheek. "I...I pretended that the bullet hit me. I slumped over onto the floor... and the person walked away.. That's when I dialed 911." She opened her eyes and looked at Edgeworth, blinking away tears.

He involuntarily flinched. _'I have grown accustomed to witnesses crying while being questioned but this is—' _He sat up straighter in the chair. "Who else was inside at the residence at the time?"

"It was my uncle-in-law and I, before the intruder came in."

"Did you happen to see the perpetrator in between the flashes of lightning?"

"No. I didn't see anyone."

Edgeworth's brow furrowed as he thought. _'...Of course, getting her to state that she saw the defendant would be a little too simple... But, is it possible that she could have seen him in between the flashes of lightning?__'_ He shook his head slightly and leaned forward a bit. "Ms. Stone, I'd like to inquire why you and your uncle-in-law were planning to—"

A knock interrupted him and his head turned in the direction of the sound. "Excuse me, but it's time for me to change the dressing on Gabi's arm." The nurse spoke from her position in the doorway, and she smiled politely as she made her way over to the cot. "You two are more than welcome to stay, if you'd like."

Gumshoe stood up quickly, his eyes bouncing between the nurse, the patients arm, and the door. He scratched the back of his neck as his eyes locked onto the door. "Uh, Mr. Edgeworth, sir," he said as he took a step toward the exit. "I'd rather we... not watch."

_'Of course._' He sighed and stood up, brushing the knees of his suit. "We **will** continue this later, Ms. Stone." He took a few steps toward the detective; his back toward the witness on the bed.

"Wait!"

The prosecutor turned around, slowly. "Yes, Ms. Stone?"

"I- I don't know where I'll be later. The doctor will be discharging me soon, and I don't have anywhere else or anyone else—"

"—I apologize, Ms. Stone, but that's really none of my concern. However, you should be thankful to hear that the authorities caught the suspect, and I will personally see to it that he is sentenced for his crimes." As he started to turn around to join Gumshoe in the hallway, he heard her speak again.

"Who- who was it?"

"A man by the name of Zachary Abbott."

She slammed her hand down on the bed as she watched the man walk out of the room. "N-no... No NO, IT'S NOT HIM. I...KNOW IT'S NOT HIM- THE INTRUDER IS GOING TO COME BACK FOR ME—"

"Gabi, you need to calm down." The nurse spoke softly.

"NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. I... I can't go out there." She turned to the nurse; a few tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "Please, please extend my stay. Can you do that—?"

"I don't think I have that sort of authority."

_'I...I'm in a dream world. This isn't real; none of this is real...'_

* * *

"So there were three psyche-locks total? When three separate questions were asked? The secrets must be related to one another." Maya said as she stepped off the bus after Phoenix, then stared at the building in front of them. Federal Bank, Incorporated was a two-story building located a few blocks from downtown.

"Whoa, this place is HUGE!" She exclaimed as she brought an index finger up to her chin, and tapped it lightly. "I wonder what kind of clients they have."

_'Probably people like Edgeworth. I wonder if this is his bank.'_ Phoenix smirked as he looked to the side. "I'm sure we'll find out once we're inside. C'mon." The man started walking up the steps, which there were ten in all, and opened up the door for the young woman.

"Aw, thanks, Nick!" She clasped her hands together. "You're such a gentleman." With a giggle, she stepped through the opened door.

The man rolled his eyes and walked in behind her. _'Whoa!'_ He thought as his eyes widened as he looked around the lobby. _'How did they managed to get an artificial waterfall inside of here?'_

"This... doesn't look like it's going to be easy, Nick."

_'You're telling me.'_

"Maybe we should go over to the front desk?"

"Yeah, but," Phoenix glanced around and spotted multiple desks. "The question is... which one is it?" He blinked as he watched a man, approximately in his early thirties, approach them. He was dressed in a hunter green polo shirt and black dress pants. His hair was dirty blonde, slightly curled, and his brown eyes sparkled as much as the pearly white teeth he was showing as he smiled.

The man clapped his hands together, loudly, and inhaled a deep breath. "Is there anything I can assist you with, today? Would you care to open an account, or transfer an existing account from another bank over to ours? Federal Bank Inc. is more than satisfied to assist you with your finances!" He placed his hands down by his side.

The attorney blinked. _'Uh... could you possibly say that any slower for me, so I can understand what you said?'_

"Y-yeah!" Maya jumped in, a little too enthusiastically. "You see, my boyfriend and I—"

Phoenix quickly covered his mouth and snickered. _'Thank goodness Pearls isn't here. She'd probably have a heart attack.'_

"—were thinking about transferring our savings account, because we have a lot of money saved up and, uh, we were thinking about this place to, uh, transfer the money too." She finished.

_'Smooth, Maya, smooth.'_

"Well, aren't you two a darling couple!"

Phoenix kept his hand over his mouth as he snickered again.

The man clapped his hands together once again. "Of course I can be of service to you. After all, at Federal Bank Inc., your money is what keeps us in business!" He kept the smile plastered on his face.

The defense attorney finally removed his hand and cleared his throat. "We just... have a few questions, sir."

"Of course, of course! Go right ahead!"

He brought his hand to his chin. _'HMM. What questions should I ask that would be relevant to the case at hand, without sounding too suspicious of gathering information. I'll start off with a side question first and build up to bigger ones.' _"What personal information is required to open an account?"

"We require usual things such as, a pay-stub, social security card, valid form of picture identification such as a driver's license or passport, two verifications of the current address the applicant resides at, such as a driver's license or current bills..."

"How much would it be to open a savings account?"

"Five-hundred dollars."

Phoenix blinked. "F-five hundred dollars?"

"But of course! Here at Federal Bank Inc., we serve the best of the best. A lot of our customers have millions in saving accounts!"

The defense attorney's eyes grew wide as he stammered backward a bit. "M-millions?"

"Of course, sir, of course! As we always say, money makes the world go around!"

Maya glanced over at Phoenix, realizing that he might be having a slight problem forming words by the way his mouth was gaping like a fish. "I-is it possible to speak with Mr. Abbott, today? I heard from a friend of a friend that he worked here."

"Uh uh, sorry. He didn't show up for work today."

The young woman decided to press on. "What about Mr. Wolfe? Is he available?"

The man's smile faded and his eyes hardened as he glared at them. "Impossible. Mr. Wolfe resigned his position a few months ago, after the death of his daughter, Constance."

The defense attorney cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. "Constance?"

"Yes. Are we done here? I see a few more customers that seem to need assistance."

"One last question. I didn't catch your name. May I ask what it is, so I'll know to ask for you...when we decide to choose this bank or not."

"Elliot. Reginald Elliot. But I highly doubt you'll be back. You don't appear to be up to Federal Bank Inc.'s standards. Now, good day." The man placed a smile back on his face as he walked past them.

Maya crossed her arms and watched the man walk away. "Hmph. What an a—"

"Let's head back to the detention center. There are a few more things I'd like to ask Mr. Abbott before I make my decision."

_'I can't shake the feeling that, maybe, the circumstances surrounding Mr. Wolfe's daughter's death could shed a little light on this case.'_


End file.
